A Cut Above The Rest

Wair Studio Salon is dedicated to delivering a high-end experience to their clients. From stylists’ education to a line of organic products, Wair stylists are focused on one thing — customer satisfaction.

By CHELSEA VALCOURT

AT WAIR STUDIO SALON, THE GOAL IS TO MAKE CLIENTS FEEL EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL AND CONFIDENT THAN THEY DID WHEN THEY WALKED IN.

Each part of the hair care process is thoughtfully designed to ensure healthy, individualized result that clients love, and it all starts with the stylist.

Salon owner and master stylist, Hope Doms, takes responsibility for the training of her team.

“I don’t expect everyone to do hair just like me but being able to take techniques and ideas and bouncing ideas off each other,…I think that’s the best way for people to grow,” says Doms. “I send my team to classes and I pay for their education. I give credit and feedback all the time, especially with my young assistants. They have to assist for at least one year before they get their chair. It’s a slow growing process but they’re set up for success and not failure.”

Wair Studio Salon is one of only a few salons in America to be certified in the calligraphy cut, which is a specific method of hair cutting where the hair is cut on a 21-degree angle. Benefits of the calligraphy cut include increased color radiance, fewer split ends, overall smoother and healthier hair that lasts longer between cuts.

“It’s easier to blow dry. It’s great for fine hair, curly hair and I love it for long hair.,” says Doms. ”If you are that type of person that doesn’t like to get your hair cut, but you need to get it cut maybe four times a year, I always say the calligraphy cut is the way to go.”

Talented stylists are then combined with clean, organic products. From juice cleanses to keto products, people are increasingly concerned about what they are putting into their bodies, but not so much what they are putting onto their bodies. Salons are filled with chemicals from bleach to dyes, meaning clients and stylists alike are surrounded by them.

It’s an issue Doms realized within her own career and it’s a big reason why she chose to switch to organic products.

While she knows a salon can’t be entirely chemical-free, constantly swapping out harsh chemical products with healthier organic products has allowed her to create a safer space for her stylists and clients.

“All we do is work around chemicals all day. Being in this business so long, I’ve been exposed to so much,” says Doms. “Because of that, I’m inspired to give a place for other stylists to work that’s safer and cleaner.”

Dom’s efforts go beyond ensuring the products Wair uses are good for her clients—she also wants them to be good for the environment.

This includes researching the companies to see what their sustainability goals are. From their excess usage of water and their disposal methods, to the containers in which they package their products, Doms wants a product that has the least ecological footprint.

“I really try my best to make sure that what we do is better for the environment,” says Doms. “Even though it’s really hard these days … every little thing makes a difference.”

At the end of the day, owning a salon is more than just hair for Doms. It’s about client relationships.

“I want to have a bigger salon but, you know, bigger isn’t necessarily better. The bigger the salon, the harder it is to have that special touch,” says Doms. “When anyone walks into the salon I say, ‘Hello.’ Everyone knows who I am and I know who they are. I don’t want to lose that.”

That’s not to say she doesn’t have aspirations for the future.

“I definitely want a bigger space and I would love to expand with my sister who owns a consignment store to create a multiple-experience salon, but still keep it small and boutique-like,” says Doms. “If in the near future it happens, it happens. I’m just kind of leaving it up to time to see where everything goes.”

Wair Studio Salon Marlton | (856) 334 – 8231 | WairStudioSalon.com

SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 20 issue 7 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | p 23 Photo By Josh Street

Healthy Hair Equals Happy Hair

In 1993, Hope Doms began her career as a hairstylist, following in the cosmetological footsteps of her grandmother. Thirty years later, she is the proud owner of Wair Studio Salon, a luxury boutique salon that focuses on the impact and importance of healthy, nontoxic hair care products by only using and selling hair products that are sustainable and organic.

“I fell in love with it and realized that these products work just as good, if not better, than all the other hair products out there that have ammonia, PPD and resorcinol in them, so I just kind of went 100% in,” Doms says. “When I opened the salon, I decided to go with a cleaner, nontoxic environment.”

Doms has worked all over the country with many brands and noticed that some have ingredients that cause allergic reactions and more skin irritation. This inspired her to open a salon that has less exposure to harmful chemicals. This a game changer for her talent and guests who are concerned about what they are applying to their scalp and also breathing in while services are performed, ultimately creating a better client experience, another focus for Wair Salon.

“We want to be sure everyone feels like they’re catered to. I tell my clients, ‘This is your time to be here. This is when you’re supposed to relax,’” Doms says. “We take pride in not rushing you out the door. Haircuts are booked for 45 mins to 1 hour. At Wair, We consider hair an art form and it cannot be rushed.”

To explain why more natural ingredients and fewer chemicals are an essential part of hair care and styling, she compares the relationship that each client has with their hair to the relationship they nurture with the rest of their body and its well-being.

“Everyone is now focused on what we put in our bodies,” Doms says, pointing out the fact that people go to great lengths to get organic and unprocessed foods to fuel their bodies, but don’t mind the chemicals we put on our skin and scalp.

“This seals the deal when it comes to really living in that lifestyle of healthier living, and just making an extra effort to focus on what we are putting in our body.”

Clients of all ages indulge in the small boutique feel of the salon and the tremendous results that Doms and her experienced team provide. Services include Haircutting, Styling, Hair color and Extensions, the former providing the most unique thing about the salon—the Calligraphy Cut.

Most clients with long hair go to the salon every four weeks because of split ends and inaesthetic regrowth, but Doms says that the calligraphy cut, although more expensive than a traditional cut, is well worth the investment.

“I recommend clients with long hair spend the extra money since the Calligraphy haircut lasts longer than a traditional cut. The Calligraphy Cut grows out more beautifully and with movement. You can go longer in between appointments; I recommend 8 to 12 weeks instead of 4 to 6 weeks.”

This specialized technique cuts each hair on precise angles, resulting in fuller, lighter and healthier hair while optimizing natural movement and color radiancy. It’s an intricate look that not many hairdressers in the area, or even the country, can execute.

Hope is the only certified stylist at the salon able to perform this service, so pre-booking is highly recommended 6 to 8 weeks in advance.

Whether you visit Wair Studio Salon for a root touch-up, a balayage or the specialty cut, rest assured that you will receive the utmost care and quality, because that’s the standard Doms set when she opened the salon in 2018 for herself, her team and her clients.

“When you walk in, you don’t feel like a stranger,” she says. “Many of our clients say they love coming here because they feel like they’re part of the family.”

Wair Studio Salon
65 East Route 70, Suite 1B
Marlton, NJ
(856) 334-8231
WairStudioSalon.com

Modern Luxury Spotlight

Hope Doms

Wair Studio Salon
Owner and Master Stylist

With a vision focused on organic, non-toxic services to promote a healthy environment and salon experience, Wair Studio Salon offers a boutique, intimate setting that makes clients feel right at home. Owned and led by Master Stylist Hope Doms, the salon offers non-toxic hair services that don’t skimp on quality or opulence.

“We give clients a one-on-one experience they won’t find anywhere else,” Doms says, who has over two decades of experience in the beauty industry. “We’re not a fast-paced salon and provide every client with the attention and care they crave and deserve.”

With contemplations of opening a bigger location in the near future, Doms’ success can be attributed to her talent and hard work. She is not only skilled in precision cutting – making her an expert in every haircut from bobs to long layers – but in hair color as well, believing that coloring should be a collaboration between the stylist and the client. She is the go-to stylist for anyone looking to get out of their haircut rut.

Doms has been featured in television, fashion hair magazines and hair shows, and has also been nominated for the prestigious North American Hairstylist of the year award. But when asked what her proudest moment of her career is, Doms keeps it all in a humble perspective.

“I have a lot of successful and proud moments every week,” Doms says. “To see my team busy and growing is a huge success for me and them.”

65 E. Route 70, Marlton, New Jersey 08053
856-495-3701 wairstudiosalon.com

At Wair Studio Salon, the use of natural products without harsh chemicals leads to a more pleasant experience and beautiful results for clients.

Better Products

Better Hair

AS A SOCIETY, WE’VE BECOME MORE EDUCATED ABOUT THE THINGS WE PUT INTO OUR BODIES, SEEKING OUT ORGANIC FOODS, DRINKING SELTZER WATER INSTEAD OF SODA AND READING LABELS  CAREFULLY. If we’re making these conscious choices, why would we continue to settle for harsh chemicals being used on our hair?

Hope Doms doesn’t want anyone to settle at Wair Studio Salon, which she opened three years ago in Marlton. Through her 20-plus years in the industry, she witnessed time and time again how the chemicals in hair products, especially in hair coloring, would affect clients and stylists.

“Everyone knows the smell of the ammonia when getting their hair colored, and a lot of people experience a chemical sensitivity with redness or itchiness. You sit there for 45 minutes breathing it in,” Doms says. “The ammonia in color actually swells the hair up so it can penetrate deeper. This can cause damage and irritation.”

She wanted something safer for people and the environment. “I just think, if we’re shopping at a place like Whole Foods, eating organic, but then we put something so toxic on our heads — it doesn’t make sense,” she says.

The decision wasn’t only for the clients’ benefit, she continues. Stylists work 40 hours a week in that environment. “When you work so closely with that product all day, it gets on your skin, into your nose and eyes—this is better for everybody in the long run.”

The zero-ammonia, organic product line is much gentler on hair, replacing the harmful ingredients resorcinol and PPD with safer, less invasive ingredients, and creating a better result. “Right away after the first and second application, the gray coverage was beautiful, hair was shinier and more vibrant. It was more comfortable for clients too without the smell, and they didn’t notice any itching or redness,” Doms says.

Over her career, Doms has learned to trust her intuition. After 15 years as a stylist “behind the chair” in various salons, she became an educator for the Matrix brand in New York City. She would go on to help rebrand JC Penney’s salons across the country, collaborating as a member of the education team that created the technical training program used in 800 locations. Her resume also includes a prestigious nomination in 2013 for North American Hair Stylist of the Year.

After the birth of her daughter in 2016, Doms returned home to New Jersey and followed her dream of opening her own salon. Now, as the owner and master stylist of Wair Studio Salon, she is applying decades of experience to create a friendly atmosphere where clients aren’t lost in the mix. And because education is the backbone of Doms’ success, it’s incorporated into her own business. Stylists participate in four major hands on trainings a year and have access to a library of educational materials. The level of education and training puts Wair’s stylists at the forefront of the most in demand treatments and services for clients. Balayage is still among the most popular requests, as well as root smudging, face-framing highlights and, yes, even perms. “New perms are more natural and healthier. They are easier to process with no blotting and they smell better. Everyone wants a little bit of texture,” Doms says. Wair is the only salon in South Jersey to offer the exclusive calligraphy cut, created by a German master hairstylist. Wair’s stylists are certified in this patented cutting style that is performed with a small calligraph knife, cutting the hair on a 21- degree angle. “The result is hair that is stronger with up to 300% more volume. The cut surface remains smooth and keeps split ends at bay,” says Doms.

Hand-tied extensions are another service more people are showing interest in. Unlike other extensions that use chemicals and glue, these are tied by hand with string, lessening the likelihood of breakage or scalp irritation. Doms says this service is perfect for anyone who wants some length and fullness, and it doesn’t take a lot to maintain. The overall trend is low-commitment. “After the pandemic, people don’t want to look like they just walked out of the salon. They want hair to look lived in, flowy, with some roots, and they don’t want super-straight hair,” she says. It’s clear Doms’ passion for what she does hasn’t waned. She considers each day a blessing to be running her own business and supporting her stylists, all of whom are single moms like her. “I believe in work/life balance, which is why our hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We all want to be home with our families at night and it gives our creative brains a break, which means we enjoy work more,” she says. “I always think of the story of the tortoise and the hare: slow and steady wins the race. If we’re running and running we’ll have no energy and we miss everything flying past us on the way. If you take your time and let life happen the way it should, you can focus on things in the moment and appreciate it more when you finally get to your destination.”

____________________________

Wair Studio Salon

65 E. Route 70, Suite 1B |Marlton

(856) 334-8231 | WairStudioSalon.com

Philadelphia Style Magazine

Modern Luxury Spotlight

Dynamic Women Sept. 2021

HOPE DOMS

WAIR STUDIO SALON,

CEO & OWNER

Hope Doms wakes up every day grateful for her over-20-year career in the beauty industry, which has included styling hair for television, magazines and hair shows, as well as a nomination for the prestigious North American Hairstylist of the Year award. The CEO and owner of Wair Studio Salon, Hope’s perseverance, optimism and grit has established her as a leader in the industry. Wair Studio Salon is Hope’s spiritual sanctuary and she ensures all clients feel the same. Offering luxury hair products that are non-toxic and more organic, Hope feels hair coloring is a choice that affects clients’ wellness. Hope and her team switched all clients from traditional hair color lines to organic, non-toxic brands years ago and each product line the salon carries is carefully picked to ensure it’s both sustainable for the environment and safe for clients. Hope’s newest line of hair care, R+Co BLEU, has sustainable packaging that comes with wildflower seeds for clients to plant. Hope has also added O&M COR Colour from Australia and DAVINES from Italy to her lineup of products. Hope’s fearless energy combined with her positive attitude and determination led her to where she is today as a business owner. After traveling and working in New York City, she hopes to inspire other women in the industry. Looking ahead to the future, Hope is excited to continue growing her team of stylists who are passionate about hair and to expand to a larger space within the next year.

65 ROUTE 70 EAST

MARLTON, NJ 08053

856.334.8231

WAIRSTUDIOSALON.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: PHIL KRAMER PHOTO

On the Cutting Edge

With a focus on safe products and revolutionary techniques, Wair Studio Salon is raising the standard of hair care.
by Liz Hunter

When Hope Doms launched her own business, Wair Studio Salon, three years ago, she wanted the client experience to exceed expectations. Having been in the industry for more than 20 years, Doms’ knowledge has shaped Wair Studio Salon into a pioneer for revolutionary products and techniques, including organic hair color and the signature “Calligraphy” cut.

The professional stylists at Wair are continuously trained and educated. This is important to Doms, who was responsible for education for the Matrix brand, as well as JC Penney salons nationwide earlier in her career.

“Education and training differentiate us from other salons,” she says. “Wair stylists attend multiple training sessions every year to ensure they keep ahead of the latest in hair and remain the best at what they do.

“Our salon is a professional yet welcoming environment where clients feel like they are part of a family and feel they trust us,” says Doms. “We offer clean, sustainable, luxury brands and focus on brands that make a difference. With sustainability and the environment in mind, none of our products are tested on animals. We care about our clients and it’s important that we use the best on-toxic ingredients in our products that provide great results.”

Why Non-Toxic Color?
The world of hair is changing and low-chemical, natural technology is leading the way in the world of beauty. At Wair Studio Salon, their mission is to provide the best personal service using luxury products that focus on sustainability, non-toxic clean technology and provide the best result in hair care.

“We believe hair color is a healthy choice. Our color is clean from ammonia, PPD and resorcinol—three ingredients that are excluded from the color line we carry,” says Doms.

AMMONIA—typically used to swell the hair and open the cuticle scales to allow color to penetrate deep within the cortex. For anyone with sensitive skin or scalp, this is an unhealthy additive. Wair has replaced it with MEA, an alkaline agent that mimics the role of ammonia, minus the odor, red eyes and irritation.

PPD—Paraphenylenediamine is a chemical known to cause dermatitis, reddening and swelling of the scalp and face. Wair has replaced it with low levels of PTDS (P-toluenediamine Sulfate), enabling up to 50% of PPD-allergic stylists and clients to now use color.

RESORCINOL—a popular coloring agent toxic to wildlife and the human immune system. Shade dependent, Wair has replaced it with 2-Methylresorcinol or 4-Chlororesorcinol, two chemicals kinder to the environment and with less potential to sensitize.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

+ Enhanced vibrancy

+ Color longevity

+ Detangling benefits

+ Promotes hair growth

+ Deep hydration and conditioning

+ Calms frizz and unruly hair

+ Reduces oxidative stress on scalp

What is the Calligraphy Cut?
As mentioned, education and training for the most up-to-date way of doing things is very important at Wair. Wair is the only salon in South Jersey to offer the exclusive Calligraphy cut.

“This is a great cut for fine hair as the Calligraphy cut adds volume. Calligraphy is a new haircutting technique where the stylist slices hair with a knife instead of scissors. Our stylists have trained and mastered this cut,” says Doms. “The hair is cut at a 21-degree angle which causes much less injury to hair, resulting in more volume and stronger hair.”

The knife used for this cut leaves a much larger cut surface and hair can more easily absorb products. In a Calligraphy cut the cut surface is smooth, giving split ends no shot, she continues.

The ideal candidates for a Calligraphy cut are women and men who have thin, feathery, weak hair. “They will love the volume that results from this cut,” says Doms. “It’s also a great way to go for those with split end-prone hair.

“It’s really great for any hair length. It does wonders for those who never thought they could wear a ‘bob’ style because their hair is too thin. A calligraphy cut solves that problem and gives thin-haired clients a great bob style. The cut can also achieve big waves and bangs as well as a sleek, smooth elegant look,” she says.

While the calligraphy cut might cost a bit more, the cut lasts longer—about twice as long especially for women with longer hair. Men too can benefit from this cut, which lasts about two weeks longer than their usual cut.

Doms and her staff are passionate about their work all day, every day. From using the right natural products without harsh chemicals to specialty cuts, Wair does it all to help give their customers a pleasant salon experience yielding beautiful results.

Wair Studio Salon
65 E. Route 70, Suite 1B
Marlton
(856) 334-8231
WairStudioSalon.com

Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 12, Issue 8.